The present invention relates to the field of hand exercising devices and in particular, to a squeezable hand exercise device integrated with a handle or other device.
A variety of hand exercise devices have been developed for individuals to exercise and strengthen the gripping ability of the hand. Such devices include squeezable rubber balls, foam rubber pads, and handles interconnected with a coiled spring. While these exercising devices for hands, wrists and arms have proven effective for stimulating and strengthening the muscles of the hand and forearm, these devices are designed to be independently gripped in the hand. That is, an individual cannot use these devices and concurrently perform another activity, such as carrying and/or manipulating another object with the same hand.
Some prior art attempts have been made to devise hand exercise devices to provide a user a means for exercising hands concurrently with another activity such as driving. Unfortunately, many previously-known attempts have substantial limitations and restrictions. These limitations and restrictions reduce opportunities for the usage of such hand exercise devices for exercising muscles of hands and arms including handgrips, forearms, and wrists.
One such hand exercise device is disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 4,798,377 to White. The White patent discloses a bicycle handlebar grip exerciser. The bicycle handlebar grip exerciser is attached to a bicycle handlebar where the rider of the bicycle may squeeze the bicycle handlebar grip exerciser toward the handlebar while riding as a form of exercising the hand. However, such a hand exercise device requires operating the bicycle for exercising the hands, which limits a user""s ability to realize any hand exercise benefit only to the period of operation of the bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,243 to Criss discloses a hand exercise device for exercising an individual""s hand and forearm while grasping an object, such as a steering wheel. The disclosed hand exercise device comprises a compressible resilient body member. However, with the exercise device mounted on the steering wheel, the exercising of the hand and forearm can only occur when the steering wheel is grasped. In addition, the compressible resilient body member of this exercise device is of fixed dimension and requires to be movably affixed on the object so as to permit an individual to manipulate the object and exercise the hands concurrently. Thus, this exercise device is unsuitable for use with objects having dimensions that do not allow proper frictional engagement of the resilient body member to the object. Further, the requirement of sliding movement of the resilient body member in a non-compressed condition along the object may render it unsuitable for use with different objects.
While these hand exercise devices can provide ability for exercising muscles of hands and arms with certain limited forms of concurrent activity, these solutions have unfortunately involved utilizing special objects and situations that involve specific activities having substantial limitations and severe restrictions. Consequently, they are unusable for concurrently exercising muscles of a hand and arm including handgrip, forearm, and wrist when holding or carrying a container member while walking. A variety of container members that are configured for carrying by hand have built-in handles associated therewith. For example, a container member such as a luggage bag, a hand-bag or purse, a briefcase, a duffle-bag, a satchel or any other similar item generally have a handle. While carrying or holding a container member, such as a briefcase, it is often desirable to have the ability to exercise one""s hand or handgrip. Likewise, objects such as umbrellas, canes, and walkers include a handle, and it would be desirable to be able to exercise one""s grip while holding its handle.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a convenient, effective solution for concurrently exercising one""s hand or handgrip while carrying or holding an object in the hand.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide methods and apparatus for an exercising container or object. According to one embodiment of the invention, an exercising handbag may include a container member, a handle coupled to the container member, and a handgrip exerciser integral with the handle. As an example, the exercising handbag could be a briefcase, purse, or suitcase. The handle may include first and second apertures, and the handgrip exerciser may include first and second springs, each spring having first and second ends extended longitudinally for coupling the first ends of the first and second springs to the handle through the first and second apertures. In addition, the exercising handbag may include a handlebar having third and fourth apertures for coupling the second ends of the first and second springs, respectively.
In an exemplary embodiment, the handlebar may include finger receiving portions along the bottom surface thereof. Moreover, the first and second springs may be replaceable and may have a selectable strength of spring rates including a first and second spring rate such that the first spring rate may be lower in strength than the second spring rate.
In another embodiment, a handgrip exerciser may include a coil spring having first and second ends extended longitudinally, the first end being coupled to the handle through a first aperture in the handle. Included may be a handlebar comprising a second aperture for coupling the second end of the coil spring, and the handlebar may have finger receiving portions along the bottom surface. Additionally, the coil spring can be of a selectable strength of spring rates including a first and second spring rate such that the first spring rate may be lower in strength than the second spring rate.
In an alternate embodiment, a handgrip exerciser may include a resilient member disposed onto a handle and dimensioned to be gripped with a hand to grab the handle for carrying a container member. For example, the resilient member could be squeezable material, the squeezable material inducing the resilient member to compress when squeezed and expand when released. The handle may be detachable from the container member.
The exercising handbag may further include a cooperating flange and groove assembly for attaching the handle to the container member through the cooperating flange and the groove assembly. The handle may include first and second notches disposed proximal to first and second distal ends of the handle, respectively. And the container member may include first and second handle receiving grooves each having an associated integrally formed spring loaded flange for interlocking the handle securely therewith.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a handle exercise grip attachable to a container member includes a removable handle and a hand exercise device including a handlebar, the hand exercise device integrated with the removable handle. The hand exercise device may include a compression device for interposing compressible tension between the removable handle and the handlebar. The hand exercise device is generally provided for exercising a hand while holding the removable handle. The removable handle is configured for manipulating by hand, and the hand exercise device is squeezable for exercising a hand while concurrently operating the container member. The compression device may include first and second springs with each spring having associated first and second spring chambers extended longitudinally for receiving the first and second springs within the removable handle through first and second recesses. It may also include an elongated handlebar having first and second abutments for coupling to the removable handle through the first and second recesses. The first and second springs each may have a selectable strength of spring rates including a first and second spring rate such that the first spring rate could be lower in strength than the second spring rate.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for providing an exercise handgrip with a handbag may include integrating a hand exercise device with a handle of the handbag.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a handgrip assembly attachable to a hand-held container or a hand-carried object such as a briefcase, handbag or an umbrella may include a handle, a handgrip exerciser, and a compression device for interposing compressible tension between the handle and handgrip exerciser.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a hand-held container or a hand-carried object such as a briefcase, handbag or an umbrella includes a combined exercise handgrip. The combined exercise handgrip may include a handle, a handgrip exerciser, and a compression device for interposing compressible tension between the handle and handgrip exerciser.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.